The New Family
by sessha-chan
Summary: Poor Jean-Luc. He hates having to deal with children, but out favorite Star Fleet Captain is going to have to change his opinion because his 'young' wife is just about to have their first! And to make things worse the youkai family is coming to visit...


**A New Family**

Sessha-chan

Kagome tapped the edge of the PADD, saving the changes she had made to the information stored on the device. She rubbed at her eyes, blinking blearily at the antique timepiece across the room. It wasn't very late, but she tired so easily now as her pregnancy progressed. The PADD was set aside after Kagome yawned so wide that her jaw almost popped. She dragged a throw blanket over her and nodded off.

She wasn't sure how long she had been asleep when the opening of the doors woke her. She uncurled and stood, dropping the throw blanket on the couch she had taken her nap on and smiling at her husband.

"Jean-Luc," she said, holding out her hands. He took them and drew her in for a quick kiss. She leaned back and smiled up at her husband, her eyes twinkling. "Good day?"

"About average," Jean-Luc replied. He paused and eyed Kagome with caution. "What is it?" he asked slowly.

Kagome bit her lip. "Shippou sent me a transmission," she said. Jean-Luc nodded. "He's on the _Pacifica._"

Jean-Luc sensed badness. "The _Pacifica_," he repeated. Kagome nodded. "Does he know that the _Pacifica_ is scheduled to rendezvous with the _Enterprise_ in a week?"

"Oh yes," Kagome said. "He said that he wanted to be here when the baby is born."

"Ah," Jean-Luc grunted. A hand drifted from Kagome's to rest on her distended belly. He felt the baby kick against his hand and he drew Kagome closer as she grimaced in discomfort. "Only a few more weeks," he murmured into her hair.

Kagome sighed. "I know. I don't know if I'll be able to keep up with Shippou's bouncing about though," she admitted.

"Should I request that Deeana to join you two so that she can run interference?" he asked.

Kagome shook her head. "It shouldn't be necessary," she said. "I do have almost nine hundred years worth of experience with keeping a lid on his – ah – exuberance. By the way, have you eaten yet?"

"You made dinner?" Jean-Luc asked.

"I did," Kagome nodded and moved away from his embrace. "Chicken, I hope you don't mind. And I've been craving bacon, so I added some of that as well." She vanished into what she had dubbed the kitchenette, a little annex in their quarters that Jean-Luc had soon into their marriage found himself exiled from. Thinking back on his banishment, he figured it might have something to do with his burning tea. Kagome hadn't been able to rescue the teapot from the scorch marks that marred its surface, inside and out, and finally had to admit defeat. The teapot still haunted the cupboard, though Kagome was loath to bring it out when she entertained.

While Kagome puttered in the kitchenette, Jean-Luc changed from his uniform into something a little more casual. As she brought out the meal Jean-Luc folded the throw blanket she had wrapped herself in. She allowed him to set the table (since he hadn't managed to break any dishes yet) as she lowered herself into a chair. Jean-Luc served and they made smalltalk as they ate.

After dinner Kagome retired, exhausted again. Her short nap had been enough to tide her over but she needed sleep. Jean-Luc stayed up to read for another hour.

* * *

A week later Kagome was escorted to transporter room three to meet Shippou as he was beamed onto the _Enterprise_. Jean-Luc wasn't with her because he was receiving a transmission from an admiral in Star Fleet Headquarters. Kagome waited impatiently beside Deeana. She had been a bundle of nerves all day, waiting for Shippou to arrive. Deeana smiled gently at her, projecting an aura of ease, trying to calm Kagome. It must have worked because the tension ran out of Kagome's shoulders and she gave the half-betazoid a watery smile.

When the form of Shippou shimmered into existence Kagome grinned and held her arms out for the man she had raised from a child. Shippou lept off the transporter pad and wrapped Kagome in an enveloping embrace. After a moment he leaned back and looked her over.

"Wow, Kagome," he said as he stared at her belly, "you're huge!"

"I'm pregnant," Kagome said, still smiling. "You knew that."

"I know I knew, but I haven't seen you in eight months," Shippou said, he pressed his hands against the bulge and his face lit up as he felt movement. "It's moving, Kagome!" he exclaimed.

Kagome grimaced. "I know, Shippou. I can feel every twitch. Come on, Deeana's promised to sneak me a chocolate sundae once you're settled."

Shippou raised an eyebrow and looked over to Deeana, who had been silent thus far. "She can't have a chocolate sundae?" he asked.

"I've been told to stay away from sweets," Kagome complained as the three of them exited transporter room three.

"So should I not give you these?" Shippou asked, pulling a box out of his pocket. Kagome snatched it out of his fingers and gasped. Her eyes sparkled.

"Toasted coconut!" she exclaimed. "Shippou, you have officially been forgiven for anything you may do in the near future."

"Ouch, Kagome," Shippou said, laughing, "that's mean."

"No more than you deserve," Kagome said as she concentrated on opening the box of Pocky. "In fact, I think you just might need to butter me up some more just for some of the antics I could _imagine _you doing."

Shippou gave a martyred look to Deeana. "My own mother," he said mournfully. The he asked, "How are you Deeana?"

Deeana, greatly amused, smiled at Shippou. "I'm good," she said. "How was your voyage on the _Pacifica_?"

"Uneventful. Boring. Not short enough," Shippou said with a sigh. He wrapped an arm around Kagome's shoulder and pulled her close. She ignored him, and offered a stick of pocky to Deeana. Deeana accepted the treat with her usual grace.

"How long do you plan on staying on the _Enterprise_?" Deeana asked before she sampled the stick of pocky.

"Until after Kagome's baby is born," Shippou answered. "Filial duty, and all that jazz. I wanna be the first to meet my little brother or sister, whatever it is. Kagome hasn't told me what it is."

"Because I don't know. I asked Doctor Crusher not to tell me," Kagome said. "Jean-Luc knows, but I want to be surprised."

"Can you feel it, Deeana?" Shippou asked.

Deeana nodded. "I can," she said.

"That is _so_ cool!" Shippou enthused. They reached his assigned quarters. He turned Kagome in his arms once the door was closed. "Can I listen to it, Kagome?" he asked eagerly.

Kagome sighed and nodded. Shippou dropped to his knees and pressed an ear against her belly. Kagome rolled her eyes at Deeana who covered a smile. Shippou's expression melted to sheer joy and amazement.

"So, doctor," Kagome said, amused, "is it healthy?"

"Oh yes," Shippou said, distractedly, "it's healthy alright. And you are _hungry_."

Kagome blushed. "I'm always hungry these days," she muttered.

"You're pregnant. You should be," Shippou said as he stood. "Now, let's get you that chocolate sundae!"

* * *

Jean-Luc switched off the screen of the computer terminal on his desk and sat back in his chair. He rubbed his temples. He didn't have a headache, he was just tired. After a full shift and a half on the bridge he had to take a communique from Star Fleet Headquarters which was followed quickly by another message from someone who he had hoped, in vain it seemed, to have many years before they met once more.

Two days and his ship would be picking up even more passengers.

Oh goody.

* * *

Kagome and Shippou sat in ten-forward with an old-fashioned shogi board between them. Kagome sipped a fruit drink Guinan had pushed on her when Kagome had come in. Shippou considered his next move, his attention unevenly divided between the board and the cute crewman that was chatting with a friend a few tables away. His inattention amused Kagome and she smiled into her glass, her blue eyes dancing.

"What?" Shippou asked when he noticed.

"Oh, nothing," Kagome said. "Just waiting for you to make your move."

Shippou flushed and moved a tile. Kagome moved her own and smiled deviously. Shippou stared down at the board and sighed. "That's my own fault, I guess."

"You should know better than to pay more attention to a sweet tail than the game, Shippou m'dear," Kagome said. "How many games have you lost because you were ogling a girl?"

"Too many to count," Shippou said with a grimace. "Fine, fine. I'll concede, you won."

"Go, Shippou. Woo your girl." Kagome waved her hand at him and collected the tiled from the board. "I wish you luck, if she'll take you."

Shippou gave Kagome a worried glance. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow at him and cradled her glass in her hands. "Do you remember what the last sight a good portion of the security officers on this ship had of you?"

Shippou frowned. "Me escorting you out of here after you pulled a Lazarus with your young man?"

"You hadn't reconstructed your illusory disguise after it dropped when you fought the crewman that killed Jean-Luc," Kagome reminded him. "You had torn him to shreds with your bare hands. If I hadn't purified his remains when reviving Jean-Luc they would have never been able to get the blood out of this room."

Shippou grimaced. "Bloody, savage demon-thing, am I?"

"With claws that, they say, are six inches long and can cut through everything. You drank his blood and spread his entrails out on the floor," Kagome said seriously. Shippou's expression was disgusted.

"I hate the taste of blood!" he exclaimed. "And that nonsense about his innards is just disgusting, _Youbo-sama._ People actually believe that?"

Kagome shrugged and finished her drink. "What do people know about youkai? It's been a couple centuries, but superstitions don't die out that easily. I heard from Mister Data that there had been somewhere around thirty different religious symbols hung around this room after we left."

"That's ridiculous!" Shippou scoffed.

"It might have been more," Kagome shrugged. "I thought it was amusing, after I got past my incredulity. After all the noise people make about being rational beings of science, they still hang crosses and burn sage to ward off evil spirits that no one can explain."

"Haha, funny," Shippou said without humor. "I need a real drink."

"Good luck finding one," Kagome saluted him with her empty glass as he stood up. She watched as he left before turning back to the shogi board. She finished gathering the tiles. Perhaps that had been a little blunt and insensitive.

* * *

Kagome gave Jean-Luc and odd look. He had a beautiful, antique hardcover copy of _A Tale of Two Cities_ open in his hands but he hadn't turned a page for almost half an hour. She moved across the room and sat down beside her husband.

"What is it, Jean-Luc?" she asked softly.

"Hmm?" he tore his eyes away from whatever he had focused on and looked over at his wife.

"You've been staring at that same page for ages. Something is bothering you," she said. "Care to share?"

Jean-Luc slowly closed his book and set it aside. He took a deep breath and snaked an arm around Kagome, drawing her closer. Running a hand through her hair he remained silent. Kagome waited patiently. After nine hundred years of living she could be patient enough for almost anything. He would talk when he was ready, if he was permitted to and was not under orders of confidentiality. Kagome understood that there were some things that he simply was not allowed to speak of, even to her.

After a long silence Jean-Luc cleared his throat. The sudden noise almost started Kagome out of her skin. She looked up at him and waited.

"Someone of interest is scheduled to rendezvous with the _Enterprise_ tomorrow," he said.

Kagome's eyebrow lifted. "Uh huh," she said. "Can't tell me who?"

"No," Jean-Luc admitted. "They requested that I not tell anyone."

"Okay," Kagome said. She nodded. "So, what's the problem?"

Jean-Luc grimaced. "They don't like me."

Kagome coughed, covering a bark of laughter. "Hate to be the bearer of bad new, _anata_, but you're a Star Fleet Captain of some repute. You're bound to have _some_ people who don't like you."

Jean-Luc grunted. He turned his face into Kagome's hair and took a deep breath.

* * *

Kagome found out the next day why Jean-Luc had been so wound up the night before. She had been sitting in the main room of the quarters she shared with her husband when the door chimed. She called for the guest to enter, looking up from her work when the doors slid open.

"Sesshoumaru! Kimijo!" she exclaimed. She got to her feet and greeted them both enthusiastically. "What are you doing here?"

"Same reason as your little boy," Kimijo answered with a friendly smile.

Kagome couldn't help herself. She laughed. "Shippou hasn't been a 'little boy' for almost eight hundred years, Kimijo," she said. "He looks older than _I_ do."

"He's still your son," Kimijo said smartly, taking a seat. Sesshoumaru opted to lean against a wall and scanned the room with a mask of disinterest. Kagome watched her old friend for a moment. He nodded when he caught her eye. Kagome shook her head when he closed his eyes and looked, for all intents and purposes, like he was taking a nap standing upright.

"He's my son," Kagome agreed, "but he's not a little boy anymore. How was you trip?" she asked.

"Uneventful. We dropped the children with Shippou before we came here. We took the yacht."

"The yacht?" Kagome asked. "You two finally took that thing out of space dock? How did it run?"

"Wonderfully, of course," Kimijo said with a self-satisfied smile. "We caught up with you in no time at all and I suppose that the only complaint would be from the children because they had to share a room."

"Oh, poor them," Kagome said, amused.

"I know," Kimijo laughed. "But, enough about that. How are you doing, Kagome? Is everything alright? How's the baby?"

"I'm going wonderfully," Kagome said honestly. "Everything's fine. A little boring sometimes, but Jean-Luc seems to be able to attract trouble like Inuyasha did. Thankfully he's better at getting out of trouble. And the baby is doing splendidly. Doctor Crusher says that everything has been going unexpectedly well."

"Why unexpectedly?" Kimijo asked with a small frown.

Kagome shrugged. "Because of the apparent age difference between Jean-Luc and myself."

"What? Because you're so much older than him? That would create complications?"

"No," Kagome shook her head, "because Jean-Luc is physically older than I. Apparently that could make problems for mother and child. Thankfully that has been smoothed out by nature herself. So how long do you plan on spending on the _Enterprise_?" she asked.

"Until after you child is born," Sesshoumaru said. "We plan not to stay aboard this ship for longer than needed."

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "You still hate space travel, don't you?"

Sesshoumaru scowled briefly and Kagome rocked back, laughing heartily. After almost a full minute of giggles Kagome wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and grinned at her old friend. "Shippou doesn't seem to mind, for all that you complain that it messes with your noses."

"Shippou suffers through it for your sake," Sesshoumaru said.

"At least he doesn't whine about it," Kagome returned.

"The constant sounds of moving machinery is quite abrasive as well," Kimijo said.

Kagome winced. "Right. Wow, hadn't even thought of that. Alright, I'll stop pestering."

"Thank you," Sesshoumaru said stiffly. Kagome smiled. Sesshoumaru didn't thank many people. It had been almost three hundred years before he had thanked her instead of just grunting. It was not something that Kagome took for granted.

"So where is you husband, Kagome?" Kimijo asked, changing the subject.

"On duty," Kagome said. "He should be off in about five hours, unless something comes up."

"Wonderful. Come Kagome," Kimijo said as she stood, "the children have missed your presence."

* * *

Shippou had taken the children to holodeck two and let them loose in a simulation of some ancient South American ruins. Kagome sat with Sesshoumaru and watched as Shippou and Kimijo watched over the children as they explored, doing a little exploring themselves. As a matter of course Kai – the elder – left his little sister, Kousei, atop a stone pillar. She screamed blue murder when she realised he wasn't going to help her down. By that time Kai was long gone. Kimijo fetched her daughter down and dropped the distraught five-year-old girl into her father's lap for some love. Kagome covered a smile as Sesshoumaru silently dried his young daughters tears and allowed her to snuggle closer. She would have never imagined Sesshoumaru as a loving _papa_ until it had happened. It was a precious moment.

Kagome rubbed her belly. It was an absentminded gesture she had developed. The baby moved against her hand and her stomach growled. Sighing at the sudden onslaught of hunger Kagome got to her feet.

"Going to find something to eat," she explained to Sesshoumaru before calling up the exit. Sesshoumaru nodded and Kagome stroked Kousei's hair in parting before stepping through the open exit into the corridor. She stepped out of the way of an officer who was walking and reading a PADD. She didn't see Kagome until she almost bowled her over.

"Mrs. Picard!" she exclaimed, paling. "I didn't see you there."

Kagome nodded. "Don't worry about it, lieutenant. Just watch where you're walking, please."

"Of course," the lieutenant promised fervently. Kagome nodded and moved away.

As she walked down the corridor Kagome debated where she wanted to eat. At home where she would be alone and left to her own devices, the mess hall, or ten-forward where she could beg Guinan to fix something small but have the benefit of company.

Company decided her.

* * *

Ten-forward was not as crowded as usual, but Kagome knew that this hour was a slow time for the popular hangout. Kagome sat at the bar, a plate of chicken penne with mushrooms and a tall glass of cranberry juice before her. Guinan returned from serving another customer, flashing Kagome a white smile.

"So how's our Captain's wife today, Kagome?" she asked.

"Overwhelmed," Kagome answered. "I've got friends dropping by, timed just right to be here for when I finally pop."

"Oh?"

Kagome nodded. "Lord Sesshoumaru, his wife and children just arrived today. I have a feeling that they told Jean-Luc not to tell me they were coming. And two days ago my _sochi,_ Shippou, arrived as well. You remember him, right? Red hair?"

"I remember him," Guinan nodded. "He has some odd rumors floating around him."

Kagome snorted and rolled her eyes. "Far from the truth, I assure you."

"And what's the truth?" Guinan asked absently as she polished a glass until it shone.

"He hates the taste of blood, for one," Kagome answered with a gamin grin. Guinan snorted, smiling. Kagome continued a little more seriously. "Shippou's not human, as I'd bet you my last squirreled-away cookie you already knew."

Guinan nodded. "I'd guessed."

"I know you would have," Kagome said. "Well, anyways, he's not human. He's about as human as I am Klingon." Guinan grinned at the comparison. "But in all honesty the only thing that those rumors have true is that, yes, he did rip apart the crewman that shot Jean-Luc. With his bare hands. But he didn't make any more mess than was needed and he most certainly did not drink on the poor, deluded soul's blood." Kagome sighed and played with her penne.

"So if he's not human, what race is he?" Guinan asked.

Kagome shrugged. "He's a youkai," she said honestly. "On earth, centuries ago, his breed was known as _Kitsune_. They were famous for being tricksters, confidence artists, that sort of thing. Nowadays they're more likely to be employed as cryptographers or consultants for jobs that require very, very tricky thinking. They're no more bloodthirsty than your average human, for the most part. This penne is _really_ good."

Guinan laughed softly at Kagome's enthusiastic compliment. Kagome grinned at her and polished off the rest of the plate to show her appreciation. Left with only her glass of cranberry juice Kagome pushed the plate away slightly and picked up her drink to stare at the pure red liquid. "Anyways, Shippou's here, and Sesshoumaru's here with Kimijo and their two children. That five youkai that have shown up within the last two days. Don't get me wrong, I love them all to bits, wouldn't trade them for a planet, but I have no clue what they're planning for when I actually go into labour." Kagome sighed. "I've attended youkai births. It can get a little dodgy sometimes between the mother and the guarding males..." Kagome blinked then groaned. She dropped her face into her hands. "I just realized why they're here and I'm not sure if I should be angry or flattered."

Guinan raised an eyebrow at Kagome. Kagome felt she had to explain. "It's a youkai tradition to have two or three males, if possible, to stand guard over an expecting mother if she gives birth in unsafe territory because she and the child are so exposed and helpless against threats. Most of the time these males are close family, brothers, father, cousin if need be. That sort of thing." Kagome sighed and downed her cranberry juice.

As Guinan refilled the glass the dark-skinned alien woman asked, "So you're upset because they think that _Enterprise_ is unsafe?"

"Yeah," Kagome muttered with another sigh. Then she contradicted herself. "No. I think it's more to do with Sesshoumaru not trusting Jean-Luc. Still. The old dog didn't give his approval for me to marry Jean-Luc but he didn't object either. I think he's still miffed, although you'd be pulling teeth to get him to admit anything like that." Kagome cussed underneath her breath making Guinan raise an eyebrow at the unusual display. "I hope they sort things out soon or I'm going to be scratching out some _inuyoukai_ eyes in the near future," she vowed. Suddenly tired Kagome got to her feet. "Thanks for the penne and the juice, Guinan, and for listening."

"No problem, Kagome," Guinan said. They exchanged friendly smiles and Kagome left to have a lay-down.

* * *

She couldn't sleep. Frustrated, Kagome picked up a book (one from her own collection of hardcover antiques. Reading from a computer screen just wasn't the same) and tried to concentrate on the story. It took a full hour before she managed to relax enough to sink into the pages. In the next room Jean-Luc was sleeping soundly.

Kagome ran her hand over her belly. It was cramping uncomfortably. Kagome would have worried, but the cramps weren't constant. False labour pains, she was sure. They faded in and out, an annoying inconstant pain. True labour contractions were even, progressively closer together.

The door chimed. Kagome looked up, startled, and called for the guest to enter. The door slid open and Kai stepped in, Kousei on his hip.

"Kai. Kousei," Kagome said, confused. "What are you two doing up? What do you need?"

"_Oba_," Kousei said with a frown. Kai let her slide gently to the floor and the little girl dashed over to Kagome. She scrambled up to sit beside Kagome while Kai moved to sit on Kagome's other side.

"What's wrong, you two?" Kagome asked, concerned.

"Kagome-_obasan_," Kai said softly, mindful that it was late, "how are you doing, here on this starship?"

"Are you happy, _oba_?" Kousei asked, worry clear on her mercurial face.

"Of course I'm happy here," Kagome said, surprised at the question. "Why would you think that I wasn't?"

Kai cleared his throat quietly. "Father."

"Oh." Kagome frowned. She threaded her fingers into Kousei's hair, carding through the moonspun locks in an absent motion. "Your father worries overmuch. While I do miss Earth and you two, I am very happy here with my husband."

"The captain Picard," Kai said hesitantly.

Kagome nodded. "Jean-Luc. He's a good man, and all the prejudice your father holds against him is, almost purely, my own doing and fault. Please, Kai, get to know Jean-Luc before you decide whether or not to like or trust him."

Kai nodded. "Alright, _obasan_, I will withhold judgement until I meet your mate personally."

"Thank you, Kai," Kagome said honestly.

Kai nodded, looking so much like his mother but with his father's colouring. He was only a hundred and fifty years old, practically a teenager.

"Is there anything else bothering you two?" Kagome asked gently.

"Kousei and Kai missed you, _oba_," Kousei said.

Kagome looked down at the little child and smiled. "I missed you as well. It's not easy leaving your family behind and learning to love another family. Sometimes I get very lonely and want to go home and give you two a hug. But I haven't been gone that long, you know."

"Long enough," Kai muttered, frowning. "You didn't take Shippou-_itoko­_ with you this time."

Kagome laughed and covered her mouth, shooting the bedroom door a cautious look. She didn't want to wake Jean-Luc partway through the night. "So Shippou has been grating?"

Kai nodded. "I'm sorry, Kagome-_obasan_, but he's really much easier when you're around."

Kagome reached out and stroked Kai's hair. "Sorry," she said softly. "Just bear with him, if you can. If not, get your mother or father to do something."

Again, Kai nodded. He was about to say something else when he looked down at his sister. Kousei had her head tucked underneath Kagome's arm, her eyes were closed and her breathing was soft and even in her slumber. Kagome noticed as well and smiled gently.

"Can I leave her with you?" Kai asked with a grimace. "She'll never get back to sleep if I take her back now."

"Sure," Kagome said. "Could you fetch that throw, please? Don't want her getting cold."

Kai reached out and passed the throw blanket to Kagome who arranged it around Kousei. Kagome bid Kai a good night and promised to see him later.

When the doors slid closed behind the tall adolescent _inuyoukai_ Kagome slowly put her feet up on the coffee table, beside where she had put her book, and closed her eyes. It wasn't long before she was asleep as well.

* * *

Jean-Luc paused and examined the picture before him, his hands stilling mid tunic-tug. He had just stepped out of his sleeping quarters when he saw his wife, asleep as she sat on the chesterfield with her feet up on the coffee table, and a little girl with white hair wrapped up in the dark blue throw blanket. Kagome had one arm curled around the little girl, her other arm resting atop her large, distended belly. Smiling softly Jean-Luc fetched another blanket and draped it over Kagome.

Satisfied that she would be more comfortable with the light covering Jean-Luc moved into the 'forbidden zone' so he could order up a light breakfast from the replicator. Breakfast didn't take long to eat and when Jean-Luc finished up and turned around it was to a concious Kagome.

"Good morning, _saiai_," she murmured.

Jean-Luc smiled and crossed the length of the room to give her a kiss. "Good morning, _chère_."

"How long do you have before you have to be on the bridge?" she asked.

"Not long. Why?"

Kagome nodded towards the little girl. "Kousei needs to be returned to her parents and she can't be woken any sooner than an hour from now or she'll be a devil to deal with all day."

"Can't you just let her sleep here?" Jean-Luc asked.

"I could," Kagome said with a slow nod, "but then Kai would get in trouble for bringing her here."

Jean-Luc frowned, confused. "Why did Kai bring her here then?" he asked.

Kagome shook her head and smiled. "They were worried. Kai wanted to talk and Kousei just wanted to see me without their parents there."

"Talk? About what?" Jean-Luc asked. Kagome ignored the question.

"Can you carry Kousei for me? The sooner we get her back, the less trouble Kai will be in for 'loosing' his sister," she said.

Jean-Luc sighed as he mentally calculated how much time he had before he was expected to be on the bridge. He tapped his comm badge. "Picard to Riker," he said. Kagome beamed up at him.

"Riker here," came the reply. "What can I do for you, Captain?"

"I'm going to be a little late getting to the bridge. Hold things down for me until I get there, will you?" he said as he gently scooped up Kousei and held a hand out to aid Kagome in getting to her feet.

"Will do. Anything else, Captain?"

"Not at the moment. Picard out." He tapped the badge once more, deactivating the link. Kagome kissed him.

"Thank you, Jean-Luc," she said.

Jean-Luc just shook his head. "This is all done in self interest and diplomacy, Kagome," he said. "your Sesshoumaru dislikes me enough as it is. You're coming with me to make sure nothing impolitic happens."

"'Impolitic'?" Kagome raised an eyebrow at him as they left their quarters and stepped into the corridor. "That's a very careful word for it."

"Prudent," Jean-Luc corrected.

"Prudent," Kagome agreed, humoring him.

The walk to the guest quarters where Sesshoumaru and Kimijo had been set up in was short, less than fifteen minutes. Jean-Luc was clearly embarrassed to been seen by his crew carrying a sleeping child, but the thought that in a short space of time he would have his own child to carry alleviated the embarrassment, replacing it with an overwhelming sense of inadequacy. As if sensing his emotions – and if she had some betazoid blood in her he would have sworn that was what it was – Kagome smiled up at him. Jean-Luc's anxiety melted. He couldn't screw up too badly if she was there to walk him through things.

* * *

Three days later Kagome walked herself down to sickbay. Jean-Luc was on duty and she had spent the day avoiding her youkai 'family'. Why was she avoiding the youkai? Because she was very certain that she was having contractions. Her water had not yet broken but she would rather be safe than sorry, hence the trip to sickbay.

As she approached the doors slid open and Kagome wondered, in the back of her mind, if they opened as people walked past in the corridor or if the ship's computer was really just that smart. She called out a greeting to Beverly Crusher as the doctor looked over to see who had entered.

"Good day, Doctor," Kagome said with a smile.

"Kagome," Beverly crossed the bay and helped Kagome sit on a biobed, "what brings you down? Is it the baby?" she asked, her tricorder already out and scanning.

"Contractions," Kagome explained. "Water has..." she paled and looked down, "just broke."

"Good timing," Beverly commented. Kagome grunted something unintelligible through another hard contraction, gritting her teeth until it passed.

"The last was a minute and a half ago," Kagome relayed. "And before you ask, I've been having contractions for the past thirty-six hours and no, Jean-Luc doesn't know. He's got too much on his plate right now, what with Sesshoumaru giving him a hard time."

"I'm calling Jean-Luc," Beverly said. Kagome sighed and lay back on the biobed. Beverly moved a few feet away and tapped her comm badge. "Doctor Crusher to the Captain," she said.

"Picard here," came the prompt reply. "What is it Doctor?"

"Captain, you may want to come down to Sickbay," she said as she continued her scans on Kagome's condition.

"Is something the matter?" Jean-Luc asked. Both Beverly and Kagome could _hear_ his frown.

"Oh, nothing's wrong," Beverly said lightly, "but you wife just walked in and I would estimate she has another hour or two before you become a father."

"I'll be right there!"

The comm link between the doctor and the captain was terminated. Kagome laughed and Beverly allowed herself a chuckle.

"Three minutes for him to get here," Kagome bet.

"Two," Beverly countered, helping Kagome lay down and holding her hand through another contraction. "He has extra incentive this time."

"Is that a positive or a negative factor?" Kagome asked. "After all, you haven't seen how he pales at the thought of being a father. Jean-Luc believes he's no good with children. But you should have seen him with Kousei-_chan_ a couple days ago. He looked so _good_ holding a little girl, if I had only had a camera I would have taken a picture of it to frame."

Beverly's smile widened. "I would have liked to have seen that," she said. "But who is Kouseichan?"

"Kousei is Sesshoumaru and Kimijo's little girl," Kagome said.

"Ah," Beverly nodded and finished her scans. She set her tricorder down.

The sickbay doors opened and Jean-Luc strode through, trying to look like he wasn't in a hurry. Kagome groaned.

"You win, Beverly," she said.

"Win what?" Jean-Luc asked, moving to stand beside Kagome's biobed.

"Nothing of importance," Beverly said, amused. Jean-Luc was paying no attention to her. He held one of Kagome's hands in his own and was already inquiring about how she was feeling and demanding to know how long she had been having contractions.

Kagome patted Jean-Luc's hand. "I've attended hundreds of birthings, Jean-Luc," she said, trying to sooth her husband, "I knew that telling you when I had the first contractions would only worry you. I haven't had any problems and I promise that I didn't tell Sesshoumaru before Beverly told you."

"You should have," Sesshoumaru growled, walking into Sickbay at that very moment.

Kagome grit her teeth as another contraction hit. She waited until it passed before glaring at her old friend. "As if I would give you something else to use as an excuse to dislike my husband? Not while I still breath, you frigid old dog. And if you can't make up and play nice I swear I will kick you out of here personally!"

"How did you know to find Kagome here?" Beverly asked, eyeing the tall _inuyoukai_ curiously.

"Shippou bugged the casual comm system, didn't he?" Kagome asked.

"He did," Sesshoumaru said, finding nothing worth hiding in his answer.

"He _what_?" Jean-Luc demanded, feeling just a little violated.

"Sorry, Captain," Shippou said as he scurried into Sickbay and almost running into Sesshoumaru's back. "I knew once Kagome started avoiding Sesshoumaru and I – mostly Sesshoumaru 'cause I know my _youbo-sama_ loves me more than she loves Sesshoumaru – that she'd be close. But I also knew that if I outed her too soon she'd kill us, regardless of how much she loves me. _Sumimasen youbo-sama, _Sesshoumaru_-sama_, I used my best judgement."

"You're forgiven," Kagome said.

"No, you are not!" Jean-Luc declared, incensed. "You tapped into my comm system!"

"Just the commons. And I've taken all of my spyware out. You can even ask your lieutenant Data to check to make sure," Shippou said with what would have normally been a reassuring grin. It faltered at the end as Kagome groaned. Shippou hurried to Kagome's side.

"Oh, calm down Shippou," she said when the contraction passed. "That was nothing. It's only going to get worse."

* * *

Kagome almost swore explosively when the ship rocked. Shippou and Sesshoumaru shot to their feet as Jean-Luc tapped his comm badge and demanded an explanation. Sesshoumaru motioned for Shippou to stay with Kagome as he left sickbay to investigate, and presumably take care of the troublesome creatures who dared attack the ship at such an inopportune moment. Kagome listened to the bridge report that Will rattled off.

Romulans. Just the name seemed to sum up the situation. Jean-Luc bit back a expletive. Kagome patted him on the back of his hand and told him to go. He was the captain, after all. If she wasn't used to men who had responsibilities by now, she would never be able to share. She wasn't in any danger at the moment, birthing-wise, but the ship was and the ship needed its captain more than she needed her husband.

Besides, he would feel guilty about leaving her so later on he'd try to make it up to her somehow. Kagome was interested in how he would do that.

Jean-Luc shared a startled glance with Kagome when, over the comm frequency Will was still talking over, Will was interrupted by a deep, very familiar-sounding voice.

Kagome groaned. Jean-Luc left at a dead run.

* * *

Sesshoumaru arrived on the bridge and demanded that the ship of the 'insolent fools' be brought up on the main viewer. He glared hard at the bridge crew and, even as they demanded to know who he was, their hands moved to bring up the wide shot of the Romulan vessel.

Even Worf felt like a helpless kitten before the aura of an irritated Sesshoumaru.

The Taiyoukai studied the ship for a moment from his assumed position front and center in front of the screen. His eyes narrowed in concentration and he lifted his right arm, two of his fingers extended together. The tips of those fingers took on an eerie green glow and Sesshoumaru snapped out two decisive cuts through the air before tucking his hands into his sleeves and waiting.

Behind him the bridge crew watched, unsure what he was doing. When he stilled the sensors screamed at a sudden influx of new information. Jean-Luc entered just as the Romulan ship separated into three segments. Bodies floated between the segments like so much detritus. The silent explosion of the engines was terrifying and beautiful. Sesshoumaru turned to Jean-Luc and raised an eyebrow at the stunned captain.

"Consider this a gift from an... ally," he said, sweeping past.

"Captain?" Will asked after Sesshoumaru was safely gone from the bridge.

Jean-Luc turned to his first officer and sighed. "Write up your incident reports, number one," he said. "I think that was Sesshoumaru's – hmm – subtle way of doing us a good turn."

"What are you going to do, Captain?" Will asked delicately.

"About Sesshoumaru?" Jean-Luc asked, raising an eyebrow. Will nodded. "I'll let Kagome deal with him. Nothing I do would have an impact on him. Kagome, on the other hand..." he let the statement trail off suggestively. "I'll be in sickbay, number one. Next time, try to inform me _before_ they fire on us. Any more incidents like this one and the Romulans will think that we have some powerful new weapon."

* * *

Kagome had exiled Sesshoumaru to sit by the Sickbay doors for annoying her. She told him she'd deal with him later. Shippou hovered beside her, opposite Jean-Luc. Everything was going wonderfully until the baby turned breach and Beverly had to do an emergency cesarean section. Shippou and Sesshoumaru had to move away as the scent of blood and internal fluids was released potently into the air. Jean-Luc stayed, holding Kagome's hand and promising that he would never make her go through something like this again.

But not five minutes later Beverly handed the cleaned and wrapped infant to her crying mother. Jean-Luc and Kagome shared their first moments as parents in awful silence.

"Jean-Luc," Kagome whispered, running her fingers over the crying child's wrinkled skin, "it's a girl. It's a little girl."

"A daughter," Jean-Luc whispered, dropping a kiss on Kagome's hair. "She's perfect, _chère_."

"She is," Kagome said, still crying. "She has your eyes, Jean-Luc."

Beverly finished closing Kagome up and healing the incision. She then moved to do a quick tricorder scan of the newborn, circumspectly staying out of the way of the new parents.

"What shall we call her?" Jean-Luc asked.

"I don't know," Kagome murmured, her attention held enthralled by her little girl.

"Sara," Jean-Luc suggested. Kagome nodded.

"Sara. Our little Sara."

* * *

Jean-Luc crept over from the bed to the crib where his daughter slept – finally. Kagome was asleep. She was exhausted, having refused a stimulant from Beverly when the doctor offered. Her reasoning was that, since she was breast-feeding Sara, whatever went into her body would make it into Sara's, and the last thing she wanted was a neonate hyped up on stimulants. Having watched as she put Sara to sleep – he tried to help but found he was quite useless so the Captain deferred to his wife and her commands – Jean-Luc had a greater understanding as to Kagome's reasoning.

Sara, in her sleep, looked like she had come straight from angels. As Jean-Luc watched her tiny fists clench and move in jerky motions as she dreamed. He felt his world go soft and pink. Kagome had been right: Sara had his eyes. The thought flooded him with a fullness of pride. He brushed his fingers over the black wisps of hair. His eyes, Kagome's hair.

Jean-Luc vowed right then to move worlds to protect his little girl. He whispered the vow as Sara's little fingers curled around one of his own. He meant every word.

_Glossary:_

Anata: (Japanese) (used as an endearment from a wife to husband) dear

Sochi: (Japanese) (my) son

Kitsune: (Japanese) fox

Inuyoukai: (Japanese) dog demon

Oba: (Japanese) aunt

Obasan: (Japanese) aunt

Itoko: (Japanese) cousin

Saiai: (Japanese) darling

Chère: (French) dear

Sumimasen: (Japanese) excuse me; I'm sorry


End file.
